


The Hardest Thing

by Stormwind13



Category: Runaways (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2014-01-29
Packaged: 2018-01-10 11:24:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1159127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormwind13/pseuds/Stormwind13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She'd left them - she'd ripped the heart right out of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hardest Thing

It wasn’t until later, after the ship had left, after the message had been sent, when they were safe and back at the Hostel, that it hit her. Karolina had left - left them, left her.

Abandoned them.

Nico clutched the bracelet in her hands, the cool metal digging into her palm, leaving indentations in her flesh. Temporary reminders of one of the best friends she had ever had.  
Gone. Maybe forever.

Probably forever, if the the way the other alien had been talking was any indication. Nico bit her lip, holding back a sob she couldn’t let out. She was the leader, now that Alex was dead, their parents were dead, Karolina had left them.

And she couldn’t cry or she wouldn’t stop. She hadn’t cried yet. In the beginning it had been too much of a game and she had been too scared. Then she had been numb - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the people at the home had said. Now she was the leader and couldn’t cry.

She had to hold it together for everyone; because Karolina had ripped the heart out of their group. And Nico wanted to hate her for it.

Molly was innocence and probably always would be. Gert was the brains and Chase was the determination. Victor was too new to quite have a place yet, though he was starting to seem like their strategist. And Nico was the one that had to keep them together. Without the team’s heart to ease the way.

She wanted to hate Karolina for being the one to weaken the strands that bound their ragtag group together. Alex had hurt, but not like this. His removal had been involuntary and tempered by his betrayal.

Karolina had left. Willingly, of her own violation. Without thinking about what it would do to them. Nico wanted to rage and scream and throw things - she wanted to be selfish. Karolina was theirs and who cared about a bunch of people halfway across the universe?

Nico wanted to scream and rage and cry but Molly was knocking on her door, asking about who was making dinner. So Nico stood and slipped the bracelet in her pocket.  
Probably forever was not the same as definitely forever, after all. And they’d all found each other before after being separated. So she’d believe that their heart would make it back. 

And until then, she’d try her best to keep them together. To keep them running.


End file.
